PUNCHESTOWN FESTIVAL Sat: The final day of the Punchestown is upon us, and what a festival it’s been, with many fantastic performances as well as big shocks, none more so than Fastorslow beating the big two in the Punchestown Gold Cup on Wednesday.
⭕ Saturday’s eight-race card begins at the slightly earlier time of 2:35pm with a 3m1f cross-country chase. The best policy here may be to stick with Hurricane Darwin, who beat Stealthy Tom by over three lengths to win this race last year. He warmed up for this contest with a respectable third behind Any Second Now at Navan last month and, if in the same form, could be tough to beat.
⭕ A marathon 3m7f handicap chase (3:10pm) follows, where Velvet Elvis and Enjoy D’allen represent the Aintree Grand National form. Both might struggle here, with this race coming just two weeks after Aintree, and it could pay to look further down the weights. Robert Tyner’s Sir Bob has looked progressive over fences this season, winning twice and last time out at Fairyhouse only finding a well-handicapped rival too strong. A winner over 3m1f, he’s untested at this trip, but looked to be staying on strongly last time to suggest it could well bring out the best in him.
⭕ The first of two Grade 1s on the day is the Mares Champion Hurdle (3:50pm). Love Envoi has outstanding prospects after finishing second to Honeysuckle in the Mares’ Hurdle at Cheltenham, but the worry is the ground will be too quick for her. That could open the door for Gordon Elliott’s Queens Brook who has form on better ground, including when winning over this course and distance in February. She has four lengths to make up with Love Envoi on their Cheltenham form, but could manage that under these different conditions.
⭕ A highly competitive Grade B chase (4:25pm) over 3 miles follows, where most of the 14-strong field can be given something of a chance. One horse that will appreciate this ground is Jerandme, who has scored seven times out of eight on a good surface. Noel Meade’s nine-year-old is lightly raced as a chaser and looks to still have potential off this mark of 131, having finished a good second off just two pounds lower last season. He was in the process of running a nice race when falling two out on his return to chasing at Leopardstown last month and has been given plenty of time to get over that, so could be primed to run well.
⭕ Lossiemouth is sure to be tough to beat in the Grade 1 Champions Four Year Old Hurdle (5:00pm). She looked much the best when beating stablemate Gala Marceau to win the Triumph Hurdle and, if in the same form, will take all the beating. One small question mark would be the quicker ground she’s set to encounter here, but she looks a nice moving filly and should be up to handling these conditions. The one to chase her home could be Zarak The Brave, who finished four lengths second to her at Fairyhouse in December on only his second hurdles start and comes here fresh.
⭕ There’s more competitive action with the 2m3f Grade B handicap hurdle (5:30pm). Cheltenham Plate winner Seddon will try to exploit a much lower hurdles mark here and looks a worthy favourite given his impressive performance in March. At bigger prices it might be worth chancing the Charles Byrnes-trained Green Glory who was a good fourth in the Lanzarote when last seen. The form of that race is working out well, and he should appreciate the better ground here.
⭕ There’s little form to go on in the 2-mile bumper (6:05pm). Willie Mullins runs Sorrentino here, and this son of New Bay should appreciate the ground conditions. There’s plenty of pace in his pedigree, being related to winners on the flat as well as smart jumper Mengli Khan, so he might prove too pacey for his rivals.
⭕ The finale is a 1m7f charity race (6:40pm) and it looks a wide-open contest. Stuzzikini brings good recent form into this after winning over hurdles at Kilbeggan last week, and judged on some of his runs this season, particularly when second to Sa Fureur over 2 miles at Punchestown in January, he looks set to go well for rider Paul Bell.
